§ 19. Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on developments in the middle east peace process since the visit to London by Mr. Shimon Peres.
§ Mr. Tim RentonModerates on both sides have our full support in their continuing efforts to move towards the peaceful negotiation of a just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israel dispute.
§ Mr. LathamHas my hon. Friend noticed that the PLO leaders who have been meeting King Hussein in Amman during the last few days have again explicitly refused to recognise resolution 242? Will he confirm that there can be no place for the PLO in negotiations so long as that remains their attitude?
§ Mr. RentonMy interpretation of the Amman discussions is not exactly the same as that of my hon. Friend, although I appreciate his close interest in the matter. King Hussein is clearly trying to reach a formula under which it will be possible for moderate Palestinians who abhor violence and who are prepared to say so in public, and who also accept Israel's right to exist within secure borders, to be incorporated in the peace process. Moderates on all sides ought to hope that he will be successful in that aim.
§ Mr. Ernie RossHow can the Minister claim that there are Palestinians who are not prepared to work for a peaceful resolution of this problem when they have made it quite clear that they are prepared to accept all and every resolution of both the General Assembly and the Security Council?
§ Mr. RentonI wish that what the hon. Gentleman has just said was correct, but unfortunately it is not.
§ Mr. CrouchOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. arising out of question 13. When the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) sought to put his supplementary question I had some difficulty in following him because he sought to use notes and to read from a communiqué. You are aware, Mr. Speaker, that in this House we practice a form of masochism. Back Benchers are never allowed to use notes at Question Time, although that is the accepted practice for those who sit on the Front Bench—a practice which I would not dispute. Can you let me know, because this is very important, whether the practice that allows the leaders of the parties to use notes extends to the leader of the Liberal party and of the other parties when they sit on the Back Benches? Can you also let me know what standing order, convention or guideline in "Erskine May" prohibits Back Benchers from ever using notes when putting questions?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt has always been perfectly in order for hon. Members to refer to notes, but the convention of the House is that hon. Members should not quote from them.
§ Mr. Skinnerrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not think that it would be helpful to take further points of order. We have a very heavy day ahead of us.
§ Mr. CohenFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it not in order for Back Benchers who want to refer to a specific quotation, as I did this afternoon, to read out the quotation?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe convention that I enunciated to the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Crouch) has always been the practice of this House.
§ Mr. SkinnerOn a different point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerArising out of questions?
§ Mr. SkinnerYes. There has been another leak.
§ Mr. SpeakerArising out of Foreign Office questions?
§ Mr. SkinnerI will just explain. There has just been an announcement that there is an emergency at Sellafield—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I shall take the hon. Gentleman's point of order after the statements.
§ Sir John FarrOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerArising out of questions?
§ Sir John FarrYes. I should like to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether Foreign and Commonwealth Office questions could be made a little easier to understand. So many of them today have just referred to the views of the Council of Ministers. The correct description is either the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community or the Council of Ministers of the Council of 286 Europe. Because of the question asking for the views of the Council of Ministers, would it not be better if the phrase "Council of Ministers" always referred to either the European Economic Community Council of Ministers or the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has raised an important point. It is up to hon. Members to decide the form in which they put down their questions. I do not determine that.